Floor rack



March 27, 1951 A F` O'CONNOR 2,546,651

FLOOR RACK Filed July 3l, 1946 Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES APENT FHC Union Asbestos @a ration of iliineis Rubber Company, a corpo- Application July 3l, 1946, Serial No'. 687,333

6 Ciaims.

This invention relates to floor racks and more particularly to lading supporting racks for railroad refrigeration cars and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a licor rack which resiliently supports the lading and in which vertical movements are damped to prevent setting up harmonic oscillations.

Another object is to provide a door rack in which vertical movements of the lading are resiliently opposed by irictional engaging cam or wedge members.

Still another object is to provide a ioor rack in which blocks of rubber-like material act through slidable wedge members to absorb the load and to damp vertical oscillation.

The above and other objects and advantages oi the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read vin connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a partial transverse section through a railway car having a oor rack embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a partial section on the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure l of an alternative construction; and

Figure l is a partial section on the line lil-1 of Figure 3.

In the construction illustrated, the railway car comprises a floor Il and a side wall Il which may be constructed and insulated in any desired manner. Within the car a floor rack is provided, formed by a plurality of parallel elongated stringers indicated generally at I 2 which support slats I 3 on which the lading may be carried. As shown, the slats I3 are formed by channelshaped metal strips which may be perforated for ventilation although other types of slats could he used if desired.

Each of the stringers I2 is formed by a base I 4 and a supporting strip I5 movable vertically relative to the base. In the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, the base comprises an elongated metal strip having upwardly turned end portions which terminate in horizontal flanges I 6. The supporting strip I5 is of inverted channel shape and fits slidably over the base for vertical movement relative thereto. Separation of the supporting strip and the base is prevented by bolts Il extending through the sides of the supporting strip and engaging the vflanges I6 as shown.

The supporting strip is urged upward relative to the base by cam or wedge means includ- (Cl. UFS-$) ing wedge members I8 rigidly secured between the side flanges of the supporting strip and provided with downwardly diverging facing surfaces. Wedge blocks IS are slidably supported on the base and have upwardly converging wedge surfaces which engage the surfaces of the blocks oi the wedge members I8 so that the blocks may be moved together when the supporting strip moves downen the base. The blocks I 9 are urged apart by resilient blocks of rubber-like material 2i which yieldingly press the blocks I9 into engagement with the wedge members I8.

in use, the weight of the lading supported on the siate i3 urges the supporting strip I5 downward tending to squeeze the blocks I9 together and to deform the rubber block 2l. As the lading tends to bounce vertically during operation at high speeds or over rough track, the supporting strip will move up and down on the base alternating pressing and releasing the rubber blocks 2i to absorb the shock so that they will not be transmitted to the load. The vertical` movements are damped by frictional movement of the wedge members I8 and the blocks I9 as well as by the inherent damping effect of the rubber material.

In order that the rack may be swung to a vertical position for cleaning of the car floor, hinge means are provided formed by brackets 22 secured to the supporting strip I5 and carrying pins The pins 23 slidably and rotatably t into elongated slots in brackets 2li secured to the side wall of the car. With this construction, the supporting strips and slats can move vertically without interference and the entire rack may be swung to a vertical position adjacent the side or the car so that the car iioor can be cleaned.

in the construction shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base ifi is replaced by an elongated wooden strip or beam 25 over which an inverted channel-shaped supporting strip 2'6 slidably ts. A bolt 2l carried by the supporting strip slides in a vertical elongated slot in the beam 25 to limit the relative movement between the beam and the supporting strip.

The supporting strip 26 carries a series of spaced wedge members 28 which taper downwardly toward the top of the beam 25 as seen in Figure Il. A series of wedge blocks 29 are slidably supported on top of the beam 25 and engage the slides of the wedge members 28 so that the blocks between adjacent wedge members will be moved together when the supporting strip moves downward toward the beam. Preferably a wear strip 3l is provided on the beam on which the 3 blocks 29 may slide. The adjacent blocks are urged apart by compression springs 32 seated in recesses in the ends of the block as shown.

In use, the weight of the lading on the slats I3 urges the supporting strip Ze downward so that adjacent wedge blocks 29 will be cammed together to compress the springs 32. The frictional engagement of the wedge members 28 and blocks 29 will provide a damping action to prevent setting up of undesired harmonic oscilla-V tions.

While two embodiments of the invention have Ibeen shown and described in detail, it will be understood that these are illustrations only and not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, references being had for this purpose tothe appended claims,

What is claimed is:

1. A floor rack for railway cars and the like comprising a plurality of parallel elongated stringere and cross slats supported on the stringere, each Stringer including a base to engage the car floor', a supporting strin riovalole vertically relative to' the' oase and te w cn the slats are connected, wedge #embers carried by the base and the strip having wedge snraees lying at an angie' to the vertical so that one ci the will. be moved horizontally when the strip moves toward the base, and resilient means engaging said one of the wedge members yieldingly to resist such horizontal movement thereof.

2. A neer raci; for railway cars and the like comprising a plurality of parallel elongated stringers and cross slats supported on the stringers, each Stringer including a base member to engage hey car iioor, a snp-porting strip member movable vertically relative to the base member andte which the siate are cennected, a pair of wedge members having diverging facing surfaces carried. by one or" the members, a pair of wedge members -tting between the diverging surfaces and i-novably carried. by the other o the members, and resilient means between the last named pair of wedge members' urging them apart.

3. A floor rack for railway carsy and the like comprising a plurality of parallel elongated stringere and cross slats supported cnthe stringere, each Stringer including a base member to engage the car a supporting strip member movable vertical-ly relative to the base inember and to which the slatsl are connected, a pair of wedge members having diverging facing surfaces carried by one of theA members, a pair of wedge members fitting between the diverging surfaces and movably carried by the other of the members, and a lblock of rubber-like material between the last named wedge members resiliently urging them apart.

4. A iioor rack for railway cars and the like comprising a plurality of parallel elongated string-er and cross slats supported on the stringers, each Stringer including a base to engage the car oor, a supporting strip movable vertically relative to the base and to which the slats are connected, a series of spaced downwardly tapered wedge members carried by the supporting strip, wedge blocks slidably supported on the base and engaging the sides of the wedge members to be moved horizontally when the strip moves down toward the base, and resilient means yieldingiy urging the wedge blocks into engagement with the wedge members.

5. In a floor rack, an elongated Stringer comprising a base, a channel-shaped supporting strip tting slidabiy over the base' for vertical move- Arent relative thereto, wedge members carried by the base' and the strip and engaging each other so that one of them will be moved hori- Zontallg7 when the strip moves vertically on the base, and resilient means engaging said one of the wedge members yieldingly to resist such horizontal movement thereof.

6'. In a door rack, an elongated Stringer comprising a base, a channelashaped supporting strip tting slidably over the base for vertical movement relative thereto, wedge members carried by the strip having downwardly dii/'erging facing surfaces, wedge blocks movably carried by the base and engaging said surfaces to be moved together thereby when the strip moves downward on the base, and resilient means engaging the wedge blocks to urge them apart.

ARTHUR F. OCNNOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record the file of this patritt- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Nani-e Date 498,344 Williams May 30, 1893 1,175,316 Solon Mar. 14,1 1916 1,302,578 Murphy May 6, 1.919 1,491,198 Cassidy Apr. 22, 1924 2,115,238 Stevens Apri 26,. 1938- 2,278,012` Maatman Mar. 3-1,l 1942 2,396,398 Lig-ht v Dec. 29, 1942 

